Senator Risa Hontiveros said that there is a possibility that hundreds of Filipinos may have been victimized by human traffickers to work as scammers in Myanmar.
“Bukod dun sa grupo ng isang dosena ni Rita, may at least 31 pa raw or 40 plus or 50 plus na natitira don. Eh matatanong natin baka daan-daan ang ating mga kababayang OFW doon,” Hontiveros said in a GMA News report.
The senator previously reported that around 12 Filipinos have been rescued in Myanmar after they were recruited to work as customer service representatives but ended up working as crypto scammers.
“Kasi yung… special economic zone kung saan naka-locate at nag-ooperate ang kanilang kumpanya, napakalaking area nun, baka marami pang kumpanyang tulad niyan ang nag-ooperate, baka nga umabot sa daan daan ang ating mga kababayan,” Hontiveros said.
Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan ‘Toots’ Ople said that an intensified information campaign is needed to fight illegal recruitment following the controversies hounding the recruitment of Filipino workers to Myanmar.
Ople said that aside from Myanmar the department is also investigating reports of human trafficking Cambodia and Laos. Ople said that they were able to rescue some of the victims.
“We need an information and education campaign. Let’s not hide this in the darkness. The more we don’t talk about it, the more we try to downplay it, the more victims there will be,” Ople said in an interview.
“It’s online recruitment. It’s when you are at home. This is different from going outside and meeting an illegal recruiter. Here, it’s just one on one,” she added.
Some 47 human trafficking victims are also asking the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
